Eliot Cutler plea deal is not justice

To the Editor;

In 2017, the Next Generation Foundation received a grant proposal from a Maine law enforcement officer wanting to start a nonprofit that would scour pornographic images and identify victims nationwide so these children could be rescued. This sprung from a case in which the Maine Computer Crimes unit identified the location of a victim based on evidence in the photo and were able to contact authorities in that state to intervene. Unfortunately, there was no funding other than ours, and the project did not thrive. 

Eliot Cutler is one of the reasons these children are victimized. He had a stunning number of images of children being sexually abused on his devices. These are children who are harmed and may never fully or even partially recover, because of people like Cutler. And the district attorney is proposing it ease up on Cutler, only nine months. Six years on probation. And at the end of six years — yes, he will be 82, but who knows, if he’s still in decent health — who’s not to say he picks up where he left off. Because I think he is clearly a pedophile. 

The diagnostic and statistical manual used for diagnosing mental illness defines “pedophilic disorder” as “recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving prepubescent or young adolescents.” From what I’ve read, it’s a disease like diabetes with no cure that can be managed with intense counseling and close monitoring.

I read Matthew Gagnon’s column even though I don’t often agree with him, but I wholeheartedly agree with his May 4 column. Going light on Cutler is not justice. District Attorney Robert Granger should imagine explaining his reasoning to those child victims.

Mary Offutt
president

Next Generation Foundation of Maine

Little Deer Isle